Relay structure



R. B. HUSSEY RELAY STRUCTURE June 1, 1954 Filed Dec. 23, 1950 QM Q GW P30 #30 INVENTOE. 12U55ELL B. HUSSEY AT TO F5, 5.!

June 1, 1954 HUSSEY 2,680,217

RELAY STRUCTURE Filed Dec. 23, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOE. RUSSELL B. HUSSEY June 1, 1954 RELAY STRUCTURE Filed Dec. 25, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 as 33 4 39 37 3| Z4 32 6 25 IO 31 J 4| .INVENTOR. RUSSELL B. HUSSEY R. B. HUSSEY 2,680,217

June 1, 1954 R. B. HUS SEY 2,680,217 RELAY STRUCTURE Filed Dec. 25, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 I j I Fl! .5. 24 4| H i 19 I I8 INVENTOR- FUSSELL B. HUSS EY June 1, 1954 R. B. HUSSEY 2,680,217 RELAY STRUCTURE Filed Dec. 23, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 W. q O f k l0 Tl g.15.

. v Zhwzntor RUSS ELL B HUSSEY Patented June 1,

UNITED STATES 2,680,217 RELAY STRUCTURE Russell B. Hussey,

East Longmeadow, Mass, as-

signor to American Bosch Corporation, Springfield, Mass., a corporation of New York Application December 23, 1950, Serial No. 202,529

2 Claims.

This invention relates to vibrator type generator regulators and more particularly to a new and improved regulator of the type set forth adapted for use in connection with motor vehicles or the like.

This application is a continuation in part of my application, Serial No. 727,687, filed February 10, 1947, now abandoned.

Vibrator type generator regulators, as em.- ployed for many years in connection with motor vehicles, have been subject to several serious difficulties among the most important of which were the varying effects of gravity due to the position in which the regulator was mounted and also the efitect of vibration.

In mounting the regulator on different engines or vehicles, it wa not always feasible to mount the regulator on each type engine in exactly the same position. Due to this variance in the mounting of the regulators, it was found that gravity influenced settings or adjustments of the regulator and thereby necessitated different adticular engine or vehicle.

Vibration has also been found to be a serious problem in that it caused very great instability cost of the regulator. I have found that the principal reason for the detrimental eifect of gravity and vibration on 2 sitions without any detrimental effect on its operation clue to gravity or vibration.

It is, therefore, the invention to provide a vibrator type voltage regulater for use in connection with motor vehicles or the like, the Operation of which is not affected by gravity or vibration and which is inherently stable under all conditions.

Another object of the invention is to provide a regulator of the type set forth wherein the armatures of the relays are balanced at their approximate center of gravity with substantially which said armatures pivot.

Another object of the invention is to provide type set forth which will be free from the disadvantages of prior regulators due to gravity and vibration.

Another object of the invention is to provide new and improved pivot points for the balanced armatures.

balanced armatures of the Another object of Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. It will be understood that many changes may be made in the details of construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as expressed in the accompanying claims. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the exact details of conby way of illustration only.

Referring to the drawings: Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of one form of electrical circuit for forth;

Fig. 2 is a top or plan view, with the cover removed, of a regulator embodying the invention;

Fig. 3 is a view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows and showing the cover in dotted lines;

Fig. 4. is a view taken on line n-Q of Fi 2 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 5 is a view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 6 is a view taken on line E% of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. '7 is a bottom view of the regulator;

Fig. 8 is a top or plan view showing the cutout relay assembly on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 9 is a side view of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a front view of Fig. 8;

Fig. 11 is a side view of one of the relay cores;

Fig. 12 i a view similar to Fig. 4 but showing another form of the invention; and

Fig. 13 is a top or plan view of the form of the invention shown in Fig. 12.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. there is shown in Fig. 1 on form of electrical circuit which may be employed in regulators einbodying the invention. It will be understood that this electrical circuit is shown by way of illustration only, as the principal features or" the present invention relate to mechanical arrangcments of such regulators and may be employed in regulators having other electrical circuits as well.

In the form shown in Fig. l, the regulator comprises a voltage relay, a current limiting relay and a cut out relay. regulator is regulators of the type set The three unit .dapted for use in. connection with motor vehicles particularly for such systems wherein a battcry is provided. if the regulator is used in such systems where a battery is not provided such for use on tractors or the like, then the cut-out relay could be eliminated and the regulator connected directly to the electrical system or load of the vehicle. In such case the current limiting relay may or may not be used depending upon conditions.

The voltage relay comprises a core i on which is mounted the voltage shunt coil 2, a vibrator coil 3 and an armature having the contacts ii adapted to engage the contact 6 for lower stage regulation and the contact la for upper stage regulation. The resistor i is provided in series with th vibrator coil 3.

The current limiting relay comprises the core 8 on which is wound the series current limiting coil 9. This relay is provided with the armature it having the contacts H adapted to engage the contact 62 for lower stage current limiting and the contact it for upper stage current limiting. The resistors it are the regulating resistors.

The cut-out relay comprises the core l3 having the series cut-out coil is and cut-out shunt coil ll wound thereon. This relay is provided with the armature it having the bridging contacts i9 and 2%! adapted to engage the contact 2i which is connected to coils Hi and ii and the contact 22 which is connected to the battery lead 28. The terminal A is the armature terminal; the terminal F is the field terminal and the terminal B is the battery terminal.

The voltage relay shows two stage regulation and the current relay shows two stage current limitation. It will be understood that these relays can be of the single stage type if desired, as the double stage type has been shown only by way of illustration.

it will be noted that the upper end 26 of the voltage relay core l, the upper end 25 of the current limiting relay core ii and the upper end iiiof the cut-out relay core are rounded in one direction only so as to form a pivot point -for the armatures l, it and it respectively and yet prevent rocking or sidewise pivotal movement or the armature on said cores. The armatures are bal-- anced about said pivot points and hinged thereto approximately the center of gravit with substantially equal mass or weight on either side of the pivot point whereby any effect or" gravity is cancelled out on either side of the pivot point and as the armature is balanced on the pivot point, the effect or" any vibration forces are cancelled out and have negligible effect.

In Figs. 2 to 11 inclusive are shown a form of regulator embodying th invention and having the electrical circuit illustrated in Fig. 1.

This form of the invention comprises a base ti on which are secured the voltage regulating relay shown in Fig. l, the current limiting relay shown in Fig. 5 and the cut-out relay shown in Fig. 6.

The voltag regulating relay shown in Fig. l comprises the yolze 28 having the deflected end portion at as hereinafter described. This relay also is pr vided with the vibrator coil and voltage shunt coil Z. which are shown collectively at Ell and through which extend the core l. The core i and yoke are preferably of low carbon steel but could be formed of other suitable material. The core i has its upper end curved in one direction as described in connection with Fig. 1 and the armature i is pivotally mounted adjacent its center on said end fi l by means of the leaf hinge 3i which is secured to the armature by the rivets 32 which also secure the contact bearing lever 33 to said armature although said hinge 3% could be secured to the armature by other suitable means. The magnetic shunt temperature compensation member 3%, which is of nickel iron steel, is provided with one end secured to a side of the fy'OlZe 28 and said magnetic shunt has an opening through its arm. through whch the head 2 of the core l extends after which said head is staked to retain. it in connection with the arm of the shunt The arm 55; has an extension portion 3a; to which the end of the leaf hinge member is secured by rivets or other suitable means The leaf member 35 is lo and is adapted to function as a hinge member and locator for the armature l, and preferably has negligibl rigidity and, therefore, said hinge or leaf somber 3i practically no spring force the adjusting spring which has one end connected to the adjacent end of the armature and its opposite end connected to the deflected portion 29 of the yoke 28, functions as the actuating spring for actuating the armature.

The armature assembly, that is the i and leaf or hinge are in intimate contact with the upper end 2 5 of the core l and, therefore, the working air gap for the magnetic flux actuating the armature is between the free end 39 of the armature l and the upper end of the yoke 26. Thus magnetic flux tends to pull the end til of the armature down towards the end "ill of the yoke 28 and this force is counteracted by the force or the adjusting spring 35 which causes pivotal movement of the armatur A on armature the upper end 24 of the core I as a center or pivot point. Due to the perfect balance, th effect of gravity on the armature on either side of the pivot point is cancelled out and position or vibration have a negligible effect on the operation of It is also pointed out that because of the rounding of the top 24 of the core l, as previously described,

ing of the armature on The current limitin relay shown in Fig. and the cut-out relay shown in Fig. 6 have armatures pivoted in a similar manner to the voltage regulation relay shown in Fig. 4 and which have been previously described. As the construction of these relays so far as the balanced armature is concerned is similar to the construction of the voltage regulation relay, their construction will be readily recognized from Figs. 5 and 6 respectively, as the armature it of the current regulation relay and the armature S8 of the cut-out made of a suitable material should a magnetic shunt and temperature compensation be desired.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 12 and 13, there is provided the armature Ill having the spring hinge member 3| secured thereto by rivets or the like 32.

In this construction the spring hinge member 3! is connected directly to the core 26 by means of screw 62 which extends through an opening in member and the head 43 of The armature Ill has the offset 45 adjacent opening 44 and in alignment with spring hinge 3i in order to space armature ill a sufllcient distance from the spring ge 3! so that the movement of the armature is not restricted.

Spring contact carrying member 46 is secured to armature ill by means of rivets or the like. A spacer 4? can be employed between armature It! and contact carrying member 46 to obtain spring action of said contact carrying member. This spacer i? need not be employed in the cut out relay.

For the voltage regulating and cut out relays, spring hinge M can be bimetallic in order to provide temperature compensation for the relay.

This construction is even simpler and less expensive than the form shown in Figs. 1 through 11, and also facilitates the servicing or replacement of the parts.

The hinge arrangement shown has been found to hold the armature in correct balanced position and to allow the armature to pivot on the core as a center. This hinge construction has been found to have numerous advantages in that it is relatively simple and economical in construction yet efficient and satisfactory in operation.

Whfle the leaf form of hinge has been shown as preferable for the reasons given, it will be understood that other suitable forms of hinges could be employed for the same purpose.

The principal regulator and prior type regulators is that in the Substantially identical armatures and yokes are employed on all three relays with the cut-out .relay employing a bridge type contact arrangement. The voltage regulator relay and the curundue instability.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided simple, eflicient and economical means for obtaining all of the objects and advantages of the invention.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In a vibrator type voltage regulator, a relay including a substantially U-shaped yoke, a core t. erefor, a flat plate-like armature therefor, said armature being pivotally mounted on said core at its approximate gravity with substantially equal portions extending each side of said core, a horizontally disposed fiat one-piece leaf spring hinge having one end connected to the top of said core and extending outwardly thererespect to said core.

2. In a vibrator type voltage regulator, a relay including a substantially U-shaped yoke, and a core therefor, a fiat plate-like armature therefor, said armature being pivotally mounted on said hair". portion of said armature being bent upwardly and then down and outwardly in alignment with said spring hinge and parallel thereto to provide an ofiset at its middle portion above said core in order to space said other half portion of the armature laterally a sufficient distance from the spring hinge and the entire upper end of said core to permit "free movement of said armature with respect to said core, said armature, core and spring hinge having aligned openings, and fastening means insertahle through said openings in said armature and spring hinge and into said core providing means for removably securing only said spring hinge to said core.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Erickson June 4, 1929 Sullivan Aug. 7, 1934 Morgenstern Apr. 13, 1937 Schneider Nov. 9, 1937 Eaton Mar. 21, 19 1 1 Kovalsky Dec. 11, 1945 Estes Dec. 25, 1945 Zoerlein Aug. 15, 1950 

